GOP unveils energy plan

Republicans released a long-awaited energy plan on Wednesday that’s heavily focused on nuclear energy, offshore and Arctic drilling and development of alternative fuels.

Yet their proposals were also designed as a critique to Democratic cap-and-trade proposals, which the GOP believes are too expensive and would essentially create a national “energy tax.”

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The Republican plan promises to bring 100 new nuclear reactors online by 2029, permit oil exploration in offshore and Arctic areas and speed up the development of alternative fuels, including controversial carbon-capture and sequestration technology. Republicans have proposed most of these ideas in the past.

“By allowing more sources of energy to come on the market, we can bring down the price of energy and clean up our environment,” said House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio).

Republicans stressed that their plan remained focused on energy, not climate change, emphasizing that the party remains unconvinced about the science of global warming.